A little different…but when it comes to cheesecake anything is good! This one will be a hit on your celebration tables, or at any potluck, BBQ, or picnic. For low-carb-hardly-any-calories serve with assorted cut veggies to dip.

The add-ins are really up to you. Sub out the tomatoes for greek olives and part of the mozzarella for feta cheese. Stir in a little crushed pineapple or jalapenos…anything you’d like. Leave off the crust altogether for even lower calories – I’ve given stats for either way.

(For complete fabulous-ness don’t be tempted to use fat-free cream cheese as it tends to make cheesecakes rubbery!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Stir together bread crumbs and melted butter. Pat into the bottom of a greased 9-inch springform pan (OR 9-inch deep dish pie plate). Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

In large bowl whip cream cheese just to soften. Add shredded cheese, green onions, black pepper, and cayenne pepper, and mix to combine. Add eggs, one at a time and beat just until each egg is no longer visible. Fold in tomatoes. Pour filling into crust. Place pan on a cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes or until almost firm in the middle.

Remove to a wire rack and run a sharp knife around the edge of the cake. Let cool completely before removing sides of pan. When cooled, wrap tightly and chill overnight or preferably a couple days. Makes 20 appetizer servings.

It is no secret that I love quinoa and eat it every chance I get! This salad is a re-make and a new favorite of mine – very light, summery, and fresh. The original had barley, but quinoa is so…NOW! I also cut the amount of corn in half, and added the edamame, some chili powder, and lime. It’s a completely different salad than what I started with and, frankly, I’m thrilled!

These are fabulously complex carbs that give staying power to fuel you up. And the added protein from the quinoa and the edamame keeps you full longer. (You could add some diced chicken to this, if you felt so inclined.)

It may seem like you won’t have enough dressing, but it’s just right.

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2 cups frozen, shelled, edamame

1 cup frozen corn

1 cup cooked, cooled quinoa (leftover is great)

1 green onion, sliced (just green parts)

1/2 red sweet bell pepper, diced

1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Dash cayenne

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Briefly boil the edamame and the corn, just until tender. Drain very well and cool completely.

In a large bowl combine the edamame, corn, quinoa, green onion, red pepper, and cilantro. In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lime juice, salt, chili powder, black pepper, thyme and cayenne until emulsified. Drizzle over the salad and toss to coat. Cover and chill for at least two hours. Makes approx 8 (1/2 cup) servings.

I saw the inspiration for this on another blog and had to make it. All the flavors sounded so beautiful together, and they are!

This is a light, summery salad, full of good-for-you carbs and protein from the quinoa. With a slightly spicy dressing and undertones of fresh mint…what’s not to love? Serve it with a moist chicken breast or some deli-turkey slices for a very filling lunch.

(Don’t let the carb count of this scare you. Quinoa is something that doesn’t seem to cause cravings. I am a carb-craver to the CORE, and have never had a problem with quinoa.)

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2 cups cooked quinoa (directions below)

1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced

2/3 cup diced grapefruit (see what I used below…reserve juice)

2 green onions (scallions) sliced – green parts only

2 tablespoons sliced almonds

1 tablespoon fresh mint, minced

DRESSING:

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons grapefruit juice

1 1/2 tablespoons agave nectar (OR 1 tablespoon honey)

1 tablespoon rice vinegar – regular flavor

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ginger

1/8 teaspoon cumin

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt – or to taste

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In a large bowl combine the cooked quinoa, cucumber, grapefruit, green onions, almonds, and mint. Set aside.

In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, grapefruit juice, agave, vinegar, cinnamon, ginger, cumin, pepper, and salt. Pour over salad and mix well.

I loved it as soon as it was made, but it only got more intense and yummy after it was chilled!

Cooking Quinoa: It cooks like long-grain rice…very easy. For this salad I cooked it in salted water, but using chicken, beef, or vegetable broth works great, too. I’ve also done it with half water, half coconut milk for a breakfast cereal-version.

Bring 1 cup water and a little less than 1/8 teaspoon salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in 1/2 cup rinsed quinoa. (Rinse in a fine mesh sieve making sure the water runs clear. Most on the market – even the bulk stuff – is very clean already.)

Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 18-20 minutes, or until all water is absorbed and the white ‘tail’ or ‘ring’ can be seen on each seed. Fluff with a fork and allow to cool to room temp for this salad. Or cool, cover and chill for later use. It should stay nice and fluffy.

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I love the Dole red grapefruit sections that come in the little cup. They can be found in the produce section, usually by the bagged salads or chilled dressings. I used all of the grapefruit and 2 tablespoons of the juice for this recipe.

These are a little different, but so good! Not overly sweet, but with that smokey, molassesy flavor that we expect in baked beans. They are full of complex carbs and are the prefect compliment to your BBQed proteins.

Rinse fish and pat dry. Cut into four pieces and lay fillets over tomato mixture. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt (sparingly – the olives make it salty) and black pepper.

Bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Spoon some of the sauce mixture over the top of the fish. Sprinkle with diced fresh tomatoes. Continue to bake for another 7-10 minutes or until fish flakes easily with fork. Makes 4 normal or 8 Weight Loss Surgery servings.

Snap off or trim woody base from asparagus spears. In a medium saucepan cook asparagus in boiling water for 4-6 minutes or until crisp-tender. Meanwhile in a small bowl combine mayonnaise, yogurt, orange juice and zest, cumin, and lemon pepper. Drain asparagus and serve with citrus mayonnaise and freshly ground black pepper.
Makes 4 servings.

This is the egg salad that I keep in the fridge to wrap in lettuce leaves or to eat with a spoon out of a bowl. Nothing fancy. You probably have a favorite way of making yours…this is mine.

One secret that makes it super quick is to grate the eggs on a cheese grater. I use the large holes and in 5 or 6 swipes a boiled egg is reduced to shards that mix up quickly with whatever you put with it.